Nearly all water needs to be treated before
it can be used. Clear water is not always clean water. Waste water
from our homes and industries also needs to be cleaned otherwise it
causes pollution and damages the environment.

450 million people today face water shortages, but people in rich
countries are wasting it. We are used to turning on the tap and
having fresh, running water whenever we want it. Each person needs
80 litres of water per day for health and hygiene. The average
American uses 500 litres per day. To make one small car requires
450,000 litres of water!

Water companies are draining rivers to cope with the demand for
water. If we used less we could stop damaging the environment and
save money. We should all think of ways to save water in our daily
lives.